25 January 2008, 19:04
Jury acquits suspects of murdering Armenian near Moscow
Jurymen have completely acquitted the defendants in the murder case of Arthur Sardaryan, 19, a native of Armenia, who was killed in a Moscow suburb on the motive of nationalist hostility.
"Today, at the Moscow Regional Court, the jury has concluded that the investigation has failed to prove the defendants' involvement in the murder," Simon Tsanturyan, victims' advocate, has informed. According to his story, this was the opinion of 9 out of 12 jurymen.
According to the defendants' advocate, on February 1, the Moscow Regional Court will hold debates on the decision's implications, and then the judge will appoint the date for announcing the verdict on the criminal case.
"To tell the truth, we couldn't anticipate this course of events, the jury's decision was a shock for us," said Simon Tsaturyan, victims' advocate in his comments on the decision.
The victims' defence has already declared that it will appeal against the acquittal, since categorically disagrees with the jurymen's decision, the RIA "Novosti" reports.
